Shawnee (Medford, N.J.) defensive lineman Mike Jarvis is one of the top up-and-coming recruits in South Jersey due to his length, motor, and ability to make plays at a high clip. Now a 6-5, 260-pounder, Jarvis is developing an elite frame to complement his athletic gifts.

Hence, college football’s dead period hasn’t affected his opportunities much.

“I picked up Syracuse, Wake Forest, Fordham like two weeks ago,” Jarvis, the junior, told NJ Advance Media. “And then last week, I picked up Princeton and Yale, so I’m up to 12 right now. I’m probably going to get Vanderbilt soon.

“Penn State just got a new d-line coach so I know I’m going to start talking to him. I’ve been talking to the o-line coach there (Phil Trautwein) for a while since he’s the recruiter for our area.”

Jarvis’ recruitment has been a whirlwind, he explained.

“My first offer was actually from coach (Fran) Brown at Temple. He was the first coach to offer me. Last year, I got Kent State, William and Mary and Temple. I had those three. And I was like, okay, it will probably die down,” he said. “Then Week 2, UMass offered. Then I thought it was going get crazy throughout the season and it kind of slowed down.

“Then, right at the end of the season, as soon as I got finished, I just got hit with Duke and Rutgers right away. As soon as coach (Greg) Schiano came in, it was like a week later.”

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is also playing a role in recruiting Jarvis.

“He tells me to get better every day,” Jarvis said. “He can’t wait to get me back up there again, take me around and give me a full tour of the college.”

Jarvis visited Rutgers last month for elite junior day and will return on March 3 for a more personal trek, accompanied by his mother and stepdad.

“(We are going) to get a more private, full tour of everything. Not just the general stuff,” he said. “We are going to get more in-depth and get to spend some one-on-one time with coach Panagos and coach Schiano.”

Currently, Jarvis has three schools on top.

“Rutgers, Wake Forest and Duke are probably leading right now,” he said.

Just an hour away from his Medford home, Rutgers, naturally, has a slight lead as it’s the only school he’s seen this year.

“I’ve only been to Rutgers,” said Jarvis, who plans to major in business. “I haven’t been to Duke and Wake Forest yet so it’s still really hard to tell.

“I’ll probably set up Wake Forest and Duke for the end of March.”

Jarvis played baseball though freshman year and basketball through eighth grade but is now focused on football.

Despite being svelte as a junior, Jarvis went head-to-head with the big uglies throughout the 2019 season.

He played off the edge from time to time but did the majority of his work inside.

“I was 240 all year and played inside” he said. “Obviously, I’ve put on a lot of muscle since then. I’ve been hitting the weights hard.”

Jarvis will play both ways in 2020.

“I’ll play guard and allover d-line, and have fun,” he said. “They are just going to let me go. They are going to move me around and try to get me the best match-ups possible.”

Jarvis has gained almost 20 pounds since the end of the season, weighing around 260 pounds.

Although he has the look of a d-end, he’ll likely play inside in college.

“Probably a three-technique or four-I,” he said. “Most schools see me as an interior guy. because in college I’m probably going to get up to like 280. Some schools see me as a hybrid.”

His character should allow him success whether playing inside or out.

“Teams like my physicality, my motor,” he said. “I’m never giving up, always being a leader. Like coach Panagos and Schiano always say, ‘I don’t like the game, I love it.’ They want players who love the game.”

What would it take for Rutgers to seal the deal?

“Right now, everything is looking really good for Rutgers,” Jarvis said. “It’s in-state. Hopefully things turn out well next year. It could be a good choice.”

But, with his recruitment beginning to pick up steam, Jarvis isn’t averse to any opportunity.

“I’m still open to basically anyone right now as far as recruitment,” he said. “I’m not knocking out schools yet.”

Jarvis accumulated 87 tackles, 28 for a loss, five sacks, 37 hurries/QB hits, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 2019. He had an explosive bowl game against Hammonton at Rutgers on Dec. 7 where he made five tackles, three for a loss, had two quarterback hits and a sack-fumble in front of Schiano and Fran Brown whom looked on.

The Renegades became South Group 4 champions after defeating Ocean City, 28-0, on Nov. 22.

They ended the season 10-3.

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